Opening Day In Iowa

Earlier this week, MLB kicked off the season with opening day. The start of baseball season is finally here, and I'm hoping it brings some warm weather along with it! You're probably wondering what the major leagues even have to do with Iowa because we don't even have any professional sports teams. It is a bit sad... but many just jump on the bandwagon of a neighboring state. I, personally, am a Minnesota Twins fan, but there are also the Cubs, Royals, Cardinals, Brewers, etc.

Although there are no pros, we still have baseball here in Iowa! And this week also kicked off opening day for some Iowa baseball teams. Iowa has a plethora of minor league teams:

Why is this important to local citizens or visiting tourists? These minor league games can be a great individual, group, or family social event that's fun and affordable. Going to a baseball game offers a fun experience for a variety of people: sports fanatics, foodies, social butterflies, and so on. Continue reading as I focus on two of Iowa's most popular minor league teams.


The Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs play at Principal Park located in Des Moines. They play as an affiliate under the Chicago Cubs. The team plays home games through the beginning of September, so this activity is available throughout the entire summer. General admissions tickets cost as low as $8.00, which is a moderate price for a great outdoor summer activity. (You can't even get into most movie theaters for less). They also offer special promotions and group pricing discounts.

For more information, visit the Iowa Cubs website.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels 
The Kernels play at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids as a class A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. The Kernels' focus is to provide a fun, quality experience for the fans. They run the same season as the I-Cubs (April-September). Lawn tickets start at $8.00 ranging up to premium tickets costing $11.00. Also a very affordable pricing. The Kernels offer similar promotions as well.

For more information, visit the Kernels website.

"Help!" - Planning Your Trip to Iowa

Whether you're planning a trip from another county, state, or country this Iowa travel website has everything you could possibly need. From the homepage, direct yourself to links on the following:

• Trip Ideas
• Things To Do
• Places To Stay 
• Calendar of Events 
• Travel By Region

You'll be pleasantly surprised to discover the tourism options you never knew existed. If you're looking for more information, I recommend ordering your free Iowa travel guide today!

After ordering your guide, read "One Weekend, Three State Parks" for a head start on planning a simple and fun trip. Good luck exploring Iowa! I hope you have a great time!

 

The Decorah Eagle Cam

Decorah, Iowa is home to the famous Decorah Eagle Cam. Over the past few years, this eagle nest has been live streamed online for viewers all over the world. The stream went viral and currently has nearly 333,000,000 views (and that number is climbing every second). I know from personal experience, tourists come from all over the world to visit the iconic eagle nest.

The Raptor Resource project announced that the first eaglet of the 2016 season hatched early this morning (March 29th), and it's causing a lot of buzz.

Tune into the live stream below to see the latest updates on the eagles:

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Get Your Apps to Iowa

Difficult vacation planning is a thing of the past. I've discovered some great downloadable apps to make your trip a bit easier. These five Iowa travel apps are guaranteed to help you plan your trip.

1. Iowa Culture App

   

Iowa Culture is a new app that displays locations of art, history, and culture throughout the state of Iowa. This includes all 99 counties with over 3,500 listed locations. If you don't know what you're looking for, no worries. This app will search for sites near your location. It's also very easy to filter results to find exactly what you're looking for. I personally just downloaded this new app and plan to use it this summer to visit some new places in my favorite state. If you're planning a trip to Iowa or want to visit local sites, this app is for you.

2. Iowa 511 App

The Iowa Department of Transportation has an app that updates users on current traffic speeds and roadway messages. The app is scheduled to include road construction and closures soon as well. Iowa 511 can be a useful tool for tourists planning their routes or just day-to-day Iowa travelers. 

3. Iowa by Trail App

This app was developed by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation as a tool for tracking trails that run through Iowa. Iowa by Trail has over 1,800 miles of trails used for biking and other uses. This app will also point out sites and attractions along the way. For anyone that has an interest in outdoor activities, the trail app can be helpful in planning a scenic, recreational tour around Iowa. 

4. Iowa State Parks & Recreation App

The Pocket Ranger is the do-all guide to the state parks of Iowa. This app is perfect for people who love the outdoors and exploring. Some features of the Iowa State Parks app include trip planning, GPS mapping of the parks, park information, and searching filters.

5. Dine Iowa App

Dine Iowa is an app designed for finding restaurants throughout Iowa. This app uses your location to give you a selection of restaurants in your area. There is also the ability to search for specific locations or restaurants. You can also find contact information and restaurant websites. Dine Iowa can be useful for finding a new place to get dinner, or finding a place to eat while on a trip.

Looking for even more great restaurants in Iowa? Check out this blog post too!

A Taste of the Midwest: Iowa's Best Restaurants

In the state of Iowa there's no shortage of tasty, filling, and just great food - Ranging anywhere from BBQ to tacos or pizza to sandwiches. No matter what you're in the mood for, you can find it somewhere in Iowa.


Here's a blog with some of the best restaurants Iowa has to offer. Next time you're in these respective cities, you might want to check them out!

15 Restaurants In Iowa That Will Blow Your Mind

If pizza is what you're after, this article has 10 must visit pizza places around the state.

These 10 Pizza Joints In Iowa Will Make Your Mouth Water

For the people looking for supper and a view, here are the perfect restaurant destinations.

These 8 Restaurants in Iowa Have 

Jaw-Dropping Views While You Eat

So there's some great options for a variety of hungry diners! And of course, no matter where you are in Iowa, you're bound to be just a drive or walk away from a restaurant experience to remember.

The Truth About Iowa

Pretty much anyone who has lived in Iowa is aware of the misconceptions about this state. I know I'm not the only one that has had those awkward reactions to: "I'm from Iowa." And no, it's not Ohio. And no, it's not the place with the potatoes. So for those that know Iowa, reminisce with me. For those who don't, I'd like to clear some things up.

• Iowa: Where you can experience all four seasons in one day.

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Okay, this one is partially true. Just this week it was 40 degrees one day and snowing 8 inches the next. I'll admit that I'm basically stuck at my apartment right now because my car is plastered in a layer of snow and ice. Although there are weeks the weather has some drastic changes, Iowa experiences four (somewhat) distinctive seasons. Summers are hot; winters are cold. Spring and fall are usually just buffers in between. I'm really not making this seem very glamorous... Because it's not. But you get used to it. 

• Iowa: Where people eat a lot of corn.

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Not so much. Sure, we have corn mazes, the Cy-Hawk Corn Series, and corn festivals. But my life doesn't revolve around corn. I don't sit in class each day wondering what corn recipe I should make when I get home. Do I enjoy some fresh sweet corn for supper in the summer though? Definitely! In Iowa, we grow corn to feed the rest of the county. We wouldn't keep it all for ourselves; that would be selfish.

• Iowa: Where there's nothing but flat fields. 

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False. The image above is just one example of the cliffs that run along the Turkey River and so many other places throughout Iowa. We have our share of flat land and fields too, but it's not like we're in the heart of the Great Plains. There's nothing that compares to kayaking down the Upper Iowa along miles of beautiful rock cliffs. If you've never done it, I highly recommend adding it to your bucket list!

• Iowa: Where the people are friendly.

Apparently we're different. We're "Iowa nice." On this topic it's hard to be impartial because I don't know any different. But I have to agree! For Iowans, if you have a problem, be ready for the entire community to come and help you out. Yeah, we'll all gossip about it the next day, but that's just reality. In real trouble, you'll get more thoughts, prays, cards, and food than you know what to do with.

• Iowa: Where everyone is a farmer.

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Also false. Although farming is a thankless yet crucial occupation to life as we know, not all Iowans are farmers. Personally, I didn't grow up on a farm, but I did grow up surrounded by a farming community. In class Monday we watched a news report the morning before the caucus. One news anchor talked about how Iowans must take care of their crops and collect the eggs before they go caucus. Maybe it was a joke, and it's an extreme example... But that's definitely not reality. 

I hope you understand Iowa a little more now. Or at least got a little laugh. Thanks for reading!

Hello, World

My name is Bailey Timp, born and raised Iowan. I grew up in Spillville, a small town in the northeast corner of Iowa. I am currently in my second year of college at the University of Northern Iowa, studying Marketing: Advertising, Digital Media and Management: Organizational Leadership.  As many of my fellow students plan to move on to bigger and better places, I'd love to stay in Iowa or the surrounding states. With a growing passion for social media marketing, I plan to work for a marketing firm when I graduate in a year and a half.

Through this blog, I plan to market everything Iowa has to offer! This will include all kinds of topics based on personal experience and research. I hope I can help others see why Iowa is a such unique place. And I'm looking forward to learning for myself along the way.

Feel free to follow my Twitter account and visit my LinkedIn page.

Thank you for checking out my blog. Stop back for new posts soon!